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All's Fair at the Fair (1939)

All's Fair at the Fair is a seven-minute cartoon released in 1938. A Color Classic produced by Max Fleischer, it was distributed by Paramount as a promotion for the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Back of the Mike (1938)

Back of the Mike is a short film done in 1938 for the Chevrolet Motor Company depicting the behind the scenes look at the making of a Western radio show.

City (1939)

This documentary film shows efforts at reversing the decay that had settled upon many American cities during the depression, including alternatives such as suburban planned communities.

In a lighthearted conversation, a couple discusses the revolutionary invention of the telephone, initially doubting its practicality. The husband, John, explains how technology like loading coils and vacuum tubes enhance communication over long distances. They marvel at a phone call from Japan, reflecting on past skepticism about the telephone's potential. The dialogue showcases the evolution of telecommunication and the couple's changing perspectives on technology.

Roosevelt's First Inauguration -- 1933 (1933)

Rare newsreel video of FDR's first inauguration.

Scenes from the Fair (1940)

This sort documentary film, produced by the Ford Motor Company, shows various scenes from the 1940 season of the fair before settling in at the Ford exhibit to detail its many features.

Frontiers of the Future (1937)

Produced to convince Depression-weary Americans that new frontiers still lay ahead. Excellent compilation of stock shots of 1930s-era manufacturing, research laboratories and industry. Hosted by Lowell Thomas.

Hindenburg Explosion (1937)

The tragic crash of the Hindenburg airship in 1937 is described, detailing the events leading up to the disaster and the aftermath. The airship caught fire and crashed while attempting to land, resulting in the deaths of 36 people. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Housing in Our Time ()

The film discusses the issue of slum housing in the United States, highlighting that many families live in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, which negatively impacts their health and well-being. It emphasizes the need for public housing initiatives, like those in Jacksonville, to replace slum dwellings with decent homes. The film illustrates how local housing authorities work with the federal government to provide low-rent housing options, improve living conditions, and stimulate local economies. Ultimately, it argues that public housing is a fundamental aspect of democracy and social welfare, ensuring equal rights to safe and healthy living environments for all citizens.

IBM Day at the Fair (1939)

The film documents IBM Day at the New York World's Fair on May 4, 1939, celebrating the company's contributions to international peace and trade. Over 3,000 IBM representatives from 27 countries gathered to honor Thomas J. Watson, who marked 25 years of leadership. The event highlighted IBM's global operations, showcased its technological innovations, and emphasized the importance of international cooperation and cultural exchange. The fair served as a platform for promoting goodwill among nations and underscored the belief in achieving world peace through trade.

Jerry Pulls The Strings (1938)

Advertisement for vacuum-packed canned coffee that was produced primarily for screening at the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. In the narrative a young puppeteer proves to his prospective father-in-law, a coffee packer, that puppeteering is a viable occupation by using International Maple marionettes to tell the story of coffee. The young man uses 80 string puppets and deep, dimensional sets to explain how coffee is grown, harvested, roasted, and packed in vacuum cans to retain flavor.

Jimmy Durante and the NRA (1933)

This short film features popular entertainer Jimmy Durante extolling the benefits of the National Recovery Administration, a New Deal program which attempted to eliminate competition by encouraging businesses to fix prices and agree upon so called fair practices codes. Most of the NRA provisions were later ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.

Man Against the River (1937)

Describes the work of members of the Works Projects Administration in helping refugees of a winter flood of the Ohio River.

To New Horizons (1940)

Definitive document of pre-World War II futuristic utopian thinking, as envisioned by General Motors. Documents the Futurama exhibit in GM's Highways and Horizons pavilion at the World's Fair, which looks ahead to the wonder world of 1960.

Our Daily Bread (1934)

A couple, down on their luck during the Great Depression, move to a farm to try to make a go of living off the land. They have no idea what to do at first, but soon find other downtrodden people to help them. Soon they have a collective of people, some from the big city, who work together on a farm.

Plow That Broke The Plains (1936)

The Plow That Broke the Plains is a 1936 short documentary film which shows what happened to the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada when uncontrolled agricultural farming led to the Dust Bowl. It was written and directed by Pare Lorentz. The film was narrated by the American actor and baritone Thomas Hardie Chalmers.

Rain for the Earth (1937)

This WPA film focuses on social and economic wastes resulting from continued drought in the midwestern dust bowl and efforts of the federal government in attempting to remedy such conditions. Several views indicate the condition of the land from which much of the moisture has gone.

A Ride for Cinderella (1937)

A Ride for Cinderella is a 1937 Technicolor cartoon sponsored film, and is a sequel to A Coach for Cinderella. The storyline is simple: Cinderella meets her young prince, but has to leave him when the clock turns to midnight. Meanwhile, the head dwarf has to stop the wicked witch, hired by the evil stepsisters, ruining Cinderella's chance of getting married to the prince. The cartoon is actually an advertisement for Chevrolet, and it's a Chevrolet that helps Cinderella get her prince. The cartoon was made the Jam Handy Organization, famous for their advertising films.

Rise of Adolf Hitler (1955)

An episode of the You Are There series. Walter Cronkite and his newsman are placed about the city to interview members of the anxious crowd awaiting Hitler's arrival at the Congress Hall.

Spot News (1937)

The Chevrolet Motor Company uses pictures of their latest cars in a dramatization of how photographs are transmitted by wire, an exciting new technology in the 1930s .

Symphony in F (1940)

"Symphony In F: TECHNICOLOR (1940 Audio Productions, Presented by the Ford Motor Company) shows an elaborate Ford Exhibit at the New York World's Fair using claymation animation to illustrate how cars are manufactured starting from raw materials.

Tomorrow's Children (1934)

Tomorrow's Children, also known as The Unborn in the United Kingdom, is a 1934 American drama film written by Wallace Thurman and directed by Crane Wilbur. The film partially criticizes the eugenic policies in practice in the United States during those times. The film was widely deemed "immoral" and "tending to incite crime".

We Can Take It (1935)

A silent film by the Extension Service about the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

World's Fair Home Movies (1939)

This collection of silent films shows many of the sights and scenes at the New York World's Fair of 1939.

Work Pays America (1937)

This short film details the work of the WPA, which provided many jobs during World War II.

We Work Again (1937)

n the 1930s, the economic depression has been especially hard on African-American families and communities. But the federal government's Works Progress Administration now provides many new opportunities for employment and advancement. Both skilled and unskilled laborers are employed in many public works projects. Others find work in a wide range of fields, including education, medicine, and even music and the performing arts.